Sport

Spanish sunshine win for Richard Howley on Calmond

Sligo native won three-star 1.50m Grand Prix at Sunshine Tour in Vejer de la Frontera

Richard Howley during Sunday’s three-star 1m50 Grand Prix at the Spanish Sunshine Tour in Vejer de la Frontera. Photograph: Horse Sport Ireland

Margie McLoone
Mon Mar 13 2017 - 09:05

Sligo's Richard Howley continued his good run of form on the Sunshine Tour in Vejer de la Frontera in south west Spain when winning Sunday's three-star 1.50m Grand Prix on Neal Robinson's grey gelding Calmond.

From 57 starters, 10 combinations qualified for the second round where four recorded double clears. Howley was the only one to break the 40 seconds barrier, coming home in 39.22 to claim the first place prize-money ahead of Dutch rider Eric van der Vleuten on Zigali PS (40.60).

In 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands, Wexford's Bertram Allen finished sixth in the five-star 1.60m Grand Prix having had a pole down in the second round with Noel Delahunty's 10-year-old grey stallion Hector van d'Abdijhoeve. The host nation's Leopold van Asten won with the fastest of three double clears on VDL Groep Zidane.

Limerick native Paul O’Shea, whose second round clear was recorded in 38.757, filled the runner-up slot in Sunday’s two-star Grand Prix in Wellington, Florida on Skara Glen’s Presence, a nine-year-old Contendro stallion the rider owns in partnership with Michael Hayden.

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The 1.50m competition was won by the USA’s Jonathan McCrea riding the Irish Sport Horse gelding Special Lux (36.745), a 13-year-old bay by Lux Z which was bred in Co Mayo by Des and Seamus Judge out of the Coille Mor Hill mare Aishling Clover.

Ireland’s Alan Wade was course designer in the international arena for week nine of the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington while next week’s title sponsor is Dundalk, Co Louth firm Horseware Ireland.

At home, two legs of the Connolly’s Red Mills/Showjumpers Club spring tour were held on Sunday with the honours at Ballinamona, Co Waterford going to Liam O’Meara on Helen Sheridan’s Jacomar nine-year-old Curraghgraigue Jack Take Fligh. While Shannon Mackenzie won at Portmore, Co Antrim with her mother Karen’s 10-year-old Lux Z mare Bens Lady Lux.

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